Beautiful Disaster
by Megs23
Summary: Sara goes missing after dinner with Grissom
1. Chapter 1

Title: Beautiful Disaster

Author: Megan and Missy

Pairing: Nick & Sara

Summary: Sara is kidnapped after dinner with Grissom

Spoilers: Everything up to Play with Fire

Author's Notes: This is kind of a rewrite to the ending of Play with Fire. Like a 'what if Grissom said yes' story. lol We hope you all enjoy.

**@~'~,~~~**

"Would you like to have dinner with me?"  
Grissom looked at her curiously. "No."

"Why not?" Sara continued. "It's just dinner. Just have dinner with me."

Grissom sighed, and looked down at the piece of paper in his hand; the phone number and address to Dr. Karen Roth ENT. "Okay," he replied looking back up at her. "I'll pick you up at 7:00."

"Great." Sara smiled then turned on her heel, and headed towards the locker room to gather her things and head home.   
Just as Sara was getting ready to leave, Nick entered the locker room and smiled at her. "Hey Sara," he greeted.

"Hey Nick. You heading out?"

"No, not yet. I've got a few more things to finish up. Are you?"

"Yeah. Finally." Sara reached for the door with her injured hand, but quickly let go, letting the door slam. "Damn!" She cursed.   
"Still hurts, huh?" Nick asked concerned.   
"A little." She confessed. "But that's what the medicine is for."   
"Yeah." Nick watched her for a few moments more and then opened his locker and pulled out his jacket. "Well, I've got to head out and grab some food for me and Warrick. So I guess I'll catch you later."

Sara smiled. "Sure will. I'm off tonight, but I'll be back tomorrow night."  
"You shouldn't be working. You need to get some rest."   
Sara shrugged. "I'll be fine, Nick."

"I know you will. But I wish you'd at least take a break once in a while."

"But then who would keep you company?" She joked.

Nick chuckled. "I'll see you tomorrow, Sara."

"Bye Nick," Sara said as she exited the locker room, more carefully this time. 

**@~'~,~~~**

Grissom was just finishing up gathering his things to go home and rest for a few hours before dinner with Sara when the telephone in his office began ringing. "Hello?" He answered.

"Hello Mr. Grissom," the feminine voice replied.

"Lady Heather?" Grissom asked, falling back into his desk chair, and removing his glasses. 

"How are you doing this morning?" She asked.

"I'm doing well, thank you. How about yourself?"

"I'm wonderful."

Grissom kneaded the bridge of his nose with his thumb and fore-finger. "What can I do for you, Heather?"

Heather sighed. "I was just curious as to whether or not you had plans this evening."

"Actually I do," Grissom started. "I'm having dinner with one of my co-workers."

"Oh?"

"Yes. Sara Sidle. She asked me to dinner just a few minutes ago," Grissom explained.

"Okay then. I must be going now. Have a good day, Gil." 

And with that the line went dead. Grissom stared at the phone for a moment as if trying to grasp what just happened. Lady Heather was a very complex woman. And it scared him at times, because she knew him so well, yet he still couldn't comprehend her very well. At times he thought he knew her, but then he felt like he'd been dropped back on square one. 

He sighed heavily, and placed the phone back on its cradle. "Oh well," he sighed again as he gathered his paperwork and jacket and headed out of the office and down the hall. 

**@~'~,~~~**

**    TBC**

**@~'~,~~~**

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

A/N: In the first chapter it says the pairing is Nick & Sara, which means there will be a Nick & Sara pairing. Grissom and Sara are friends. They're allowed to have dinner together.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ 

          Grissom debated on what to wear with his date with Sara.  'Wait a minute, this isn't a date.  This is just a dinner with a co-worker.  Right?'  He thought to himself.  Either way, Grissom decided he still wanted to look presentable.  He told Sara that he would pick her up and if he didn't get to going, he was going to be late.  Grissom pulled a navy blue button up dress shirt and a pair of khaki pants out of his closet and quickly changed. 

On the way to Sara's apartment, Grissom kept thinking about his phone call earlier with Lady Heather.  She seemed fine until he told her he had plans with Sara.  She hung up the phone rather quickly. He thought for a moment that Lady Heather might be jealous, but he quickly dismissed the idea. She should know by now that there was nothing between himself and Sara. They were friends. Good friends. Nothing was going to change that. But still, he wondered why Lady Heather was acting the way she had been. He made a mental note to call her later and explain to her his relationship with Sara. 

Grissom pulled up to Sara's apartment complex, and sat in silence for a moment before getting out of his Tahoe and walking into the building and up to the third floor where she lived. He knocked quietly and stood back, waiting for her to open the door. 

          "Hey."  She greeted him with a smile. She moved aside and allowed him access to enter her small home.

          "Hey Sara," he greeted as he walked passed her. He gave her the once over from head to toe and smiled. "You look nice." And she did. Sara was clad in a pair of black dress pants, and a maroon fitted sweater.

          "Thanks.  So do you."

          "Are you ready?"  He asked.

          "Yes, just let me get my keys." She reached past him to a small table sitting just inside the door and grabbed her cell phone and keys. "Ready," she announced. They both exited the apartment, and headed down to Grissom's Tahoe. 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ 

          Grissom and Sara were seated at a table towards the back of the tiny Italian restaurant. It was just a few miles away from the lab. The whole night shift had been there once before for lunch while discussing one of their many cases. 

          "Thanks for having dinner with me."  Sara said, breaking the uneasy silence.

          "You're welcome," Grissom replied. "The last time I came here was when we were all working on that quadruple a few months back. I need to come here more often. The breadsticks are great."

          "I've been one other time besides that. Hank took me. I like it because there's so much more than just meat. So many different pastas and salads," Sara explained as she pushed the noodles around on her plate.

          Grissom watched for another moment before placing his fork down and folding his hands on the table. "Sara," he started. "Is something wrong?"

          Sara knew he was worried about her. Even though he'd probably never admit it. Grissom just wasn't the time to express his emotions. She glanced down at her bandaged hand and sighed. "I wanted to talk to you about my job," she whispered.

          Grissom had to strain to hear her. "What do you mean?" 

          Sara looked up and met his gaze for the first time that night. His icy blue eyes bore deep into her soul, and it sent a shiver up her spine. He never had to tell her that he was worried about her, because she could see it in his eyes. 

          When she didn't respond, Grissom cleared his throat. "Sara, if this is about the accident-"

          "It is," she stated simply, cutting him off. 

          "I wish you'd take a few days, or maybe even a week off. You should be on paid leave, you know? I don't want one of my best CSI's burning out so soon."

          Sara looked back down at her plate. "I was so scared."

          "Sara," there was a pleading tone in his voice that Sara had only heard once or twice in the past. 

          "I don't want to quit. I don't want to burn out," she admitted.

          "I know you don't. But you will if you don't take a break." Grissom sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Do you remember Pamela Adler?"

          "How could I forget?"

          "Do you remember what I said to you then?"

          "Yes."

          Grissom looked back up at her face. "Well, it's true Sara. You need to get a diversion," he paused for a moment. "And you need to see a therapist."

          "What?"

          "About the accident, Sara. I don't want you to be haunted by that. I don't want to lose you just because you bottled up all of your fears. Please just go make an appointment with her."

          "Do you think it'll help?" Sara asked timidly.

          "Yes, I do. Ask Catherine. She has been to see Dr. Freeman a few times. Remember she was attacked at a crime scene. And now, after the explosion, I'm sure both she and Greg will be going."

          "Greg," Sara breathed. "How is he doing?"

          Grissom sighed. "I'm not sure. You know Greg. He probably won't tell us the truth. Catherine went to see him earlier."

          "I should, too."

          "Yes, you should," Grissom agreed. "I think talking to him could help you as well."

          "Maybe."

          "Sara, it will help you to talk to the people who were also involved. Trust me. And if in two weeks you're still feeling the same, then we can talk about your job. I can cut back on your hours."

          "I hate to admit it, but it might be for the best," Sara whispered.

          "Well, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

          Sara glanced down at her watch. "Oh, I need to get going. I have a doctor's appointment in the morning, and I'd like to try and get a little sleep before then."

          "Yes, you do need to sleep." Grissom motioned the waiter over to get the check and a couple to-go boxes.

          Fifteen minutes later, Grissom pulled his Tahoe up to Sara's apartment building again, and turned the engine off. "If you need anything else, don't hesitate to call me, okay? I may be your boss, but we were friends before that."

          Sara was silent for a moment as she digested what he was telling her. "Thank you."

          "You'll get through this Sara. You're strong."

          "I know. I'll see you tomorrow night."

          "I wish you'd take the night off." Grissom had that fatherly tone in his voice again.

          "I'll think about it. Good night."

          "Good night."

          Grissom waited until she made it into the building before pulling out of the parking lot and heading back to his townhouse. He was completely oblivious to the dark blue SUV that had been following him the whole night. And he was completely oblivious to the brunette who followed Sara into her building. 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ 

          Sara entered her apartment, shutting and locking the door behind her. She glanced down at the answering machine, and to her surprise there was a flashing number '3' indicating she had not one, not two, but three messages. She pushed the play button and listened as a soft Texan voice filled the room. 

          "Hey, Sara, it's Nick. I just wanted to call and check up on you. Call me tomorrow and let me know how your doctor's appointment went. Okay, well, I'll talk to you later. Have a good night. Bye."

          Sara smiled as his concern for her, and then listened to the second message.

          "Hey, Sar, it's me again. Where are you anyway? I thought you were going to go home and relax. Well, I just thought that if you want, I can go to your appointment with you. I mean, if you want. I don't mind. Give me a call later, and let me know. Bye."

          Sara's smile grew and she picked up the phone and dialed the very familiar number as the third message began.

          But her smile faded as she heard the heavy breathing. She felt a shiver go up her spine, and it wasn't the good kind either. After a few seconds she heard the click of the telephone, and she noticed that she had begun sweating. 

          Then Nick's voice broke her thoughts, making her drop the phone she had forgotten she was holding. She picked it up off the ground and with a shaky voice asked, "Nick?"

          "Sara? Is that you?"

          "Yeah."

          "Are you okay? It sounded like you dropped the phone, or something." She could hear the concern laced in his voice.

          "I did. I guess it just slipped."

          He let out a chuckle. "Okay. So what's up? Did you get my messages?"

          "Yes, I did."

          "Where were you tonight?"

          "I went out to dinner with Grissom."

          Nick was silent for a few minutes. "Oh."

          "It's not what you think, Nick. I just wanted to talk to him about my job, and other things."

          "Okay."

          After a few more seconds of uncomfortable silence, Sara spoke up again. "Nick?"

          "Yeah?"

          "I do want you to come with me. To the doctor, I mean."

          "Good. Do you want me to drive you? I'm sure your hand doesn't feel so great when you have to hold the steering wheel."

          "Yeah, that'd be great. My appointment is at-"

          "9:30," Nick finished for her. "I know."

          Sara smiled. "So could you be here around 9:00?"

          "Sure thing."

          "Thanks Nick."

          "Don't mention it. Have a good night, Sara. Get some sleep, and I'll see you bright and early."

          "You too. Good night."

          Sara hung up the phone and walked down the hall to her bedroom. She quickly changed into her flannel pajamas, went into the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. 

          She never heard the woman enter her home. She never heard her walking down the hall. She never saw the gun. And by the time her body hit the ground, she was already unconscious. 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ 

TBC

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~


	3. Chapter 3

Nick pulled up beside Sara's vehicle a few minutes before 9:00 the next morning. He turned off the ignition, and quickly climbed out of his Tahoe. He knew he was early, but he had a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach that he simply couldn't explain. He was worried about Sara, and just wanted to make sure everything was okay. 

He made his way down the hall toward her door. Every step he made, his uneasiness grew worse.  He stood in front of her door and knocked softly. After not receiving an answer, he tried again.  He couldn't hear anything in the apartment.  He reached for the door handle and was surprised to find that it opened easily.  He stepped inside.  A feeling of dread wrapped around him.  "Sara?" He called into the quiet apartment. 

Nick looked around and noticed Sara's bag, keys, and cell phone lying near the table. He walked over to the stand that held her phone and answering machine. She had one unheard message. Nick knew it wasn't his business, but he couldn't help it. He pushed the play button before walking down the hall. The only sound her heard was heavy breathing coming from the answering machine. He wondered if Sara had heard this message already and saved it for some reason. 

Nick peered inside Sara's bedroom. Nothing seemed out of place, except for the fact that her bed looked completely unslept in. The sheets were neatly pulled up to meet the pillows. 

Next he peered inside the guest bedroom next to the bathroom. "Sara, are you here?" He called again.

No answer.

Next Nick reached the bathroom, and pushed the door open all the way. Suddenly he felt like he was going to be sick. There was a puddle of blood near the sink, and a trail of blood splatters ending just before the black and white tiles of the bathroom met the dark wood flooring of the hallway. 

Nick froze for a few seconds before work-mode took over. He managed to pull his cell phone out of his pocket without dropping it, and dialed Grissom's number.

"Grissom."

"It's Nick."

From his tone, Grissom knew something was wrong.  "What's going on Nick?"

"I think you should get Sara's apartment. Call Brass."

"Nick, what happened?" Grissom asked as he got up from his desk and walked down the hall to the break room. Catherine and Warrick were just getting ready to head home after staying a few more hours to finish up the case they were working on.

"I don't know. There's blood. She's gone," Nick couldn't control his emotions anymore as a few tears escaped his eyes and rolled down his cheeks. 

"Nicky, take a deep breath," Grissom said calmly. "I want you to stay there. Do you have your kit with you?"

"Yes," Nick whispered. 

"Good. Now I want you to go sit in your Tahoe and wait for us to get there. Brass and Catherine are on their way. Warrick and I will be there shortly."

"Okay."

"Nick?"

"Yeah, Gris?"

"She's fine."

Nick took the phone away from his ear and pressed the "end" button. He couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from the bathroom.  The blood on the ground constantly reminded him that Sara was in danger or quite possibly dead.  He refused to believe the latter. But how could Grissom know if she was going to be fine. Nick vowed then and there to not give up until he found her.

Nick headed out to his Tahoe, and leaned against the back door. He tried to think of anything but Sara; baseball, football, steak 'n eggs, but it didn't help. She was gone, and he couldn't help but wonder if he had come by sooner could he have saved her.

Just a few minutes later, Nick watched as Brass's unmarked Taurus, two police cars, and ambulance and a Tahoe pulled into the parking lot. 

Brass was the first one to reach Nick. "Hey," he greeted with no emotion. "Wanna show me to her apartment?"

Nick nodded without and word, and led the way into the building and up to Sara's apartment.

Two police officers quickly taped off the door with crime scene tape as Catherine went to work inside collecting any evidence she could find. They all knew that there could be problems with the night shift working Sara's case, because they were all attached to her, but there was nothing that was going to keep them away. 

Grissom and Warrick showed up nearly a half hour later. "Sorry we're late," Grissom said to Nick as he walked under the tape. He could tell that Nick had been crying. And he was only hoping that Catherine would be able to keep her emotions in check. Otherwise they'd have problems. They needed to be professional. 

"Cath's in the bathroom," Nick whispered. He was leaning against the counter, staring off into space. 

Warrick placed a hand on his shoulder and tried to overcome the lump that was forming in his throat. "We'll find her, man. We have to."

"I know."

"Nick," Brass walked up to the two of them with a notepad in his hand. "I need to ask you some question. Protocol."

Nick nodded.

"Okay, when was the last time you spoke to the victim?"

"Sara. Don't call her a victim. She wouldn't like it. You know her name. Use it," Nick snapped.

"Sorry, Nicky. I guess it just helps me to not think of her being gone, ya know?"

Nick closed his eyes, and massaged his temples. "She called me last night after she got home from dinner with Grissom. I had offered to take her to her doctor's appointment. That's why I was here. It was scheduled for 9:30. I got here just before 9:00," he paused. "I should call the doctor's office and re-schedule her appointment. She needs to see the doctor," he rambled. 

"Nicky," Brass interrupted, placing his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Did the-Did Sara mention anything to you about someone following her, or any threats or anything?"

Nick thought for a moment. "Not that I can recall. But when she did call me back last night, she sounded a little spooked. She even dropped the phone just as I answered it. I don't know why. She said it just slipped."

"Has she said anything in the past few weeks?"

"No," Nick answered. Then jumped up suddenly and walked over to the answering machine. "But I did hear this when I got here this morning." Nick pressed 'play' on the answering machine and they listened to the heavy breathing coming out of the speaker.

Brass scribbled something on his notepad, and nodded. "Okay, we'll check into her phone bills. We've already got someone getting the security tapes," Brass paused. "And Nicky, don't go anywhere. You know the drill. First one on the scene is a suspect."

"I didn't do this, Brass. You know that!" Nick shouted.

"Nicky, I know you didn't, but if we let you go it'll look like we're playing favorites."

Suddenly Nick had a feeling of déjà vu. This is exactly what happened when Kristy Hopkins was murdered. 

"Nick, don't worry about it. It's just protocol," Brass said, reassuringly. "Now I need to go talk to Grissom. You said they had dinner last night, right?"

"Yes," Nick nodded. "To talk about her job."

"Okay, thanks, Nicky." With that Brass turned and walked down the hallway to the bathroom where Grissom was helping Catherine. "Gil, I need to talk to you."

Grissom looked up. "Okay." He turned to Catherine. "You okay in here?"

"Yeah, I think I've covered everything. I'll go help Warrick in the bedroom."

"Okay," Grissom said, standing up and following Brass into the living room.

"Nicky told me you and Sara had dinner last night. Is that true?" Brass asked, getting down to business.

"Yeah. She wanted to talk about cutting back on hours, or quitting all together. She's been real shaken up since the accident."

"Did you notice anything out of the ordinary?"

Grissom thought for a moment. "No, but," he paused.

"But what?"

"I did get an interesting call yesterday," Grissom admitted.

"From who?" Brass asked.

"Lady Heather. She asked me if I wanted to have dinner with her, and when I told her I was having dinner with Sara, she seemed a little upset."

Brass wrote this down on his notepad, and nodded. "All right, we'll check into that. Thanks, Gil."

"Yeah."

"We'll find her," Brass said for what seemed like the hundredth time. He wasn't sure who he was trying to convince anymore. The team, or himself. 

"Yeah," Grissom agreed. "We will."

~~~~

TBC

~~~~

Please review and let us know what you think so far!


End file.
